Dear Friends of ancient mythology! At first it seemed difficult to attribute this coin. But finally I succeeded by using 'Historia Numorum' von Barcley Head which is provided by Ed Snible under http://www.forumancientcoins.com/numiswiki/view.asp?key=Historia Numorum The coin: Bithynia, Kios, Geta as Augustus, AD 209-212 Ae 24, 7.42g obv. AVT.K Π.CE - ΓETAC AV Bust, cuirassed with scale-armor, laureate, r. rev. K - IA - NΩ - N Young Hylas, with waving clothes around his hip, advancing l., holding with r. hand drinking vessel at his mouth. Ref.: ANS -; cf. SNG von Aulock 518 (rev., for Volusian, cites Rec.Gen. p.225, 125) probably unpublished in major works Very rare, F+, Brown patina Mythology: Hylas, meaning 'of the wood', was the son of Theodamas, king of the Dryopians in Thessaly. When Herakles came to Trachis he met Theodamas, who was plowing his fields with oxes. Because he was hungry and because he wanted to start quarrel with the Dryopians he asked him for an ox. When Theodamas refused the delivery of an ox Herakles slew him and abducted Hylas as infant. Later Herakles fell in love with him and Hylas became his favorite. After having brought the Erymanthian Boar to Erichtheus Herakles together with the youth Hylas went to the Argonauts to take part in their journey to Kolchis to get the Golden Fleece. After their adventures in Kyzikos they must land at the coast of Kios in Mysia, because they had to repair the rudders which were broken by Herakles. Hylas was sent out to fetch water for Herakles. When he came to a spring the nymphs of the spring in which he dipped his pitcher were so excited because of his beauty that they drew him into the water to keep him forever. And he was never seen again. Herakles started out to search for Hylas but in vain. Only his pitcher he found at the border of the spring. But Herakles' thrice-repeated cry was lost in the depths of the water. Only the voice of Hylas came from the depth like a far echo. In anger Herakles threatened to waste the land if Hylas were not found dead or alive. In a vision to Herakles Hylas rises from the water’s level, clad in saffron weeds, the gift of the unkind Nympha, and standing by his dear head utters such words as these: ‘Why, father, dost thou waste time in vain lament? Mine now by fate’s appointing is this glade, this home, wither at cruel Hera’s behest the wanton Nympha has stolen me; now doth she win me power to consort with the streams of Zeus and the heavenly deities, and shares with me her love and the honours of the fountain." (Valerius Flaccus, Argonautica 4.22) In the morning opportune winds came up and because Herakles didn't return Jason, the leader of the Argonauts, commanded to continue their voyage without Herakles. But some say that the Argonauts took Herakles search only as pretense to dispose him because he regularly broke his rudders due to his supernatural power. (Schol. Apollon. ad I.c.v. 533&1163). So Herakles must stay in Mysia. It is told, that the inhabitants of Kios, in memory of the threat of Herakles and to appease him, every year search for Hylas in a big ceremony. On a stated day they roamed the woods and the mountains, and their priests thrice called the name of Hylas and thrice the echo answered. Probably these ceremonies were the cause for the myth of Hylas (Theocrit. xiii. 72; Strab. p. 564.). But even though this myth was told first in Alexandrinian times the so-called "cry of Hylas " occurs long before as the " Mysian cry " in Aeschylus (Persae, 1054), and in Aristophanes, Plutus, 1127). " to cry Hylas " is used proverbially of seeking something in vain . Background: Hylas, like Adonis and Hyakinthos, represents the fresh vegetation of spring, or the water of a fountain, which dries up under the heat of summer . It is suggested that Hylas was a harvest deity and that the ceremony gone through by the Kians was a harvest festival, at which the figure of a boy was thrown into the water, signifying the dying vegetation-spirit of the year. The melancholic tunes linked with these ceremonies were known already to Aischylos. The connection between Herakles and Hylas doubtless was homoerotical coloured. He was his 'catamite. So Hylas appears already in ancient times as an example for the homoeroticism of the great Greek heroes, either eulogized or condemned. Kios: Kios (Lat. Cius), later named Prusias ad Mare too, was an ancient Greek city bordering the Propontis (now known as the Sea of Marmara), in Bithynia, and had as such a long history, being mentioned by Homer, Aristoteles and Strabo. It was colonized by the Milesians and became a place of much commercial importance. It joined the Aetolian League, and was destroyed by Philip III of Makedonia. It was rebuilt by Prusias I of Bithynia who renamed it for himself. An important chain in the ancient Silk Road, it became known as a wealthy town. History of art: This myth was very popular as is proofed by numerous places in literature and depictions in art. Hylas appears in Hellenistic and especially in Roman art, particulary in Pompejian paintings (Villa Ephebi). Holding a jar in his hand the youth tries to flee from the nymphs. Giulio Romano (AD 1499-1546) picked up this subject as is testified by a drawing in Vienna (AD 1530) for a lost painting. Then there ia a sculpture by Thorwaldsen (AD 1768-1844) in Copenhagen (1831) and several paintings by J.W.Waterhouse (AD 1849-1917). I have added: (1) a mosaic, (Grenoble, Musée de Saint-Romain-en-Gal): (2) a painting of Francesco Furini (1603-1646), Hylas and the Najads (1638; Firenze, Palazzo Pitti): (3) and the painting "Hylas and the Nymphs" of J.W.Waterhouse (1896/8; Manchester, CAG), the famous Pre-Raphaelite painter: Notes: In 2018 it was reported that the Manchester Gallery has taken down the painting "Hylas and the Nymphs" (1896) from John William Waterhouse because it shows a perception of women from the Victorian era which we actually have overcome. It shows the wife either "passive-decorative" or as "femme fatal". Because I have used this painting in my article about Hylas, I want to apologize and at the same time to warn my readers that my articles could content passages which not always matches their own ideology. Because I can't know their ideologies it is not possible for me to delete these passages (at least as long as the "thought police" does permit it!). So I have to beg them to simply skip these passages. Thank you! Postscript: In my opinion it was not "political correctness" but sheer barbarism. I have read that the Gallery in the meantime because of massive international protests has removed the painting and has added a warning to it! I should add that the Manchester Gallery has the most important collection of Pre-Raphaelites. Sources: (1) Strabo, Geography 12.4.3 (2) Strabo XII, 564 (3) Apollonios Rhodios, Argonautika I, 1207-1357 (4) Apollodor. I, 117 (5) Vergil, Bucolica 6, 44ff. (6) Theokrit Idyll. XIII Secondary literature: (1) Der Kleine Pauly (2) Benjamin Hederich, Gründliches mythologisches Lexikon (3) G . Turk in Breslauer Philologische Abhandlungen, VII (1895) (4) W . Mannhardt, Mythologische Forschungen (1884) . (5) Robert von Ranke-Graves, griechische Mythologie (6) Karl Kerenyi, Griechische Heroengeschichten (7) http://www.theoi.com/Nymphe/NymphaiMysiai.html (8) http://www.androphile.org/DE/Library/Mythology/Hercules/Hylas/Hylas.htm (9) Wikipedia (10) Aghion/Barbillon/Lissaraue, Reclams Lexikon der antiken Götter und Heroen Paintings: (1) http://www.affinities.net/states/forum/forum_page.php?sid=4840002&forumId=1985 (2) http://www.culture.gouv.fr/culture/arcnat/vienne/en/mosa17.htm Best regards
